Democrats clash in 2020’s opening debate, aiming at Trump

Miami — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren demanded “structural change” in the economy and the government as Democrats met on the debate stage for the first time in the 2020 presidential season, highlighting a rift within her party’s most ambitious contenders over how aggressive they should be in confronting problems of inequality.

Her rivals, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, suggested a softer approach, at least on some issues, but declined to attack Warren by name in the early minutes of Wednesday’s prime-time clash. The focus on change came in the early moments of a debate that marked the unofficial starting line for the Democratic Party’s quest to wrest the White House from Donald Trump and deny him a second term.

“I think of it this way. Who is this economy really working for? It’s doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top,” Warren declared. “That is corruption pure and simple ... and we need to make structural change.”